Spiritual Guidance Training Institute
  • Home
  • About
    • About SGTI
    • Affiliates
    • Testimonials
  • Training
    • Training Programs
    • Supervision
    • Pure Presence
    • Webinars
    • E-Courses
    • SGTI Grads
  • Faculty
  • Blog
  • Subscribe
  • Events
  • Library
  • Products
  • Donate
  • Shop
  • Contact
Picture

How Do You Grow a Heart As Wide As the World?

1/28/2019

 
Picture
Here at The Spiritual Guidance Training Institute we assist our students in developing "sacred listening." One of the tools we use to do so is a unique protocol developed by Dr. Janice Lundy called "Pure Presence™." The methodology and practices  are intended to open one's heart to listen to others in ways that  are "pure"—  without bias, judgment, or hidden agendas. This allows us to transcend religious doctrine, cultural prejudice, or anything that could keep us separated from our fellow human beings. It enables us to create a space for connection and healing to happen within a spiritual guidance session. 

We could say that we at SGTI are trying to foster "hearts as wide as the world." In our final learning module with Cohort 1 students we explored this concept, and invited them to share their understanding of "a heart as wide as the world." This is what one of our students, Jeffrey Phillips, wrote: ​

​“The heart of the world” – what is that?  Is it the social world misshapen by structures and systems that seem unchangeable, and that, more often than not, go unnoticed by people who have been taught to not see and question unjust schemes?  Is it the world itself – beautiful, dying, the original body of God?  Is it the world of creativity, imagination, science, curiosity, discovery, spirituality, primal experiences, social bonding, sexuality, and the arts?
 
Or it is God – that which beats (like a heart) at the center (the heart) of all things?  The goodness, the joy, the love, the moral imperative to care?  Being, Consciousness, Existence, Spirit, Mystery, Eternity – experienced in shared, sacred story, symbol, rituals, concepts, and completely unorthodox (“profane,” “secular”) and unexpected numinous, luminous places, people, and circumstances?
 
How does one listen to that Heart?  By taking time in the daily practice, by stepping outside the ordinary routines to attend the festival of a different social group or take a new course.  By paying attention to your toothbrush – really looking at it for the first time!  By sitting when you could be busy.  By resting when you could be working.  By savoring a conversation, a meal, a day. By being when you could be doing. By reading a poem slowly – really chewing on it - rather than reading the news.  By “praying the news,” and considering those stubborn social systems and the suffering they inflict on innocent folk.  
 
And then by reflecting on that toothbrush-looking, that sitting, that being, that soulful reading, that news praying.  And doing it again the next day – or doing something completely different.  Or maybe by approaching a daily practice with no agenda at all other than to Be Open, and to see – and hear! - what happens in the moment, in the here, in the now.  I have learned that this last year and a half.


Comments are closed.

    About this blog

    Deepening the understanding, practice and importance of spiritual guidance-companionship across traditions.

    Subscribe

    RSS Feed


    Chat with us on Facebook

    Picture

    Archives

    February 2023
    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    August 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    November 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017

    Categories

    All
    Anti Racism
    Anti-racism
    Beverly Lanzetta
    Blessing
    Books
    Chicago Interfaith Immersion
    Collaboration
    Community
    Compassion
    Contemplation
    Courses
    Creativity
    Education
    Envisioning
    Graduate Theological Foundation
    Healing
    Hospitality
    Interfaith
    Interfaith Spiritual Direction
    Interfaith Spiritual Direction Training
    Interreligious
    Interspirituality
    Interspiritual Luminaries
    Listening
    Meditation
    Millennials
    Mindfulness
    MISHKAN
    Mission
    Multi Faith
    Multi-Faith
    Nature
    Non-violent Communication
    Peace
    Pilgrimage
    Pocasts
    Podcasts
    Poetry
    Prayer
    Pure Presence
    Retreat
    Sacred Space
    Self Compassion
    Service
    Silence
    Spiritual Direction
    Spiritual Directors International
    Spiritual Fluidity
    Spiritual Guidance
    Spirituality
    Spiritual Practices
    Student Spotlight
    Training
    Travel
    Universal Wisdom
    Wayne Teasdale


© COPYRIGHT 2022
SPIRITUAL GUIDANCE TRAINING INSTITUTE
​ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
  • Home
  • About
    • About SGTI
    • Affiliates
    • Testimonials
  • Training
    • Training Programs
    • Supervision
    • Pure Presence
    • Webinars
    • E-Courses
    • SGTI Grads
  • Faculty
  • Blog
  • Subscribe
  • Events
  • Library
  • Products
  • Donate
  • Shop
  • Contact